Interfaith event to reflect on pentitence during Lenten season

Published 8:00 am, Wednesday, March 16, 2011

St. Nicholas' Episcopal Church will kick off an interfaith lecture series Wednesday about penitential practices across different faith traditions.

The first event of the public, four-part series will be led by the Rev. Jim Liggett of St. Nicholas', who will talk about penitence within the Christian tradition. The lectures will continue throughout the Lenten season, which Liggett said is an especially important time for Christians to reflect on repentance.

"Lent as a time of preparation for Easter is a very ancient , and it was developed really around two teams -- one is preparation for baptism, and the other is self-examination and repentance in preparation for a deeper appreciation of Easter," Liggett said. "It's a chance to learn to understand what we Episcopalians do in the broader context of human religious life."

Other speakers will include Dr. Nefous Nabulsi, who will speak on Islamic tradition; Connie Glinmann, speaking on Jewish tradition; and Dr. Padmaja Patel, who will speak on the Hindu tradition.

Patel said she will focus her April 13 talk on how followers of Hinduism must incorporate Hindu practice into their daily lives.

"For us, religion is not what we do one day in a temple or just a weekly thing," she said. "For us, religion is what we do every day, day in and day out. What your beliefs are you have to manifest in your actions in being kind and appreciative of people."

The act of penitence, or regret for wrongdoing, can be seen in the concept of karma, which focuses on deeds and the cycle of cause and effect, Patel said.

"Our actions mean everything to us," Patel said. "If we hurt someone, we know it's going to come back to us at some point in life."

Liggett said he hopes the event will help attendees gain a sense of the value all faiths contribute to the community as well as gain a deeper appreciation of their own traditions.

"The central need is to build strong and respectful relationships among the great faith traditions that are present here in Midland," he said. "In our tradition, the Episcopal church, Lent has always been and remains an important opportunity for spiritual growth."

The programs will begin at 6:30 p.m. each Wednesday through April 13. The events are free, and will include time for questions and discussion from the public.